Old-Fashioned
by The Little Monster 1024
Summary: Rusty asks Sharon some questions about her relationship with Andy.


**Old-Fashioned**

 **AN** : Takes places between 4x08 and the summer finale.

* * *

Rusty was typing away on his laptop when he heard noises coming from outside the condo's door. He froze for a second before he recognized Sharon and Andy's voices. Since they made their relationship official, they'd been going out together after work even more often.

They were a weird little couple, Rusty thought. When Sharon meant old-fashioned, she meant it. They hardly ever touched each other. He'd only seen them hold hands once. He knew that relationships didn't have to revolve around sex, but still. Sharon was kind of a touchy person, always patting his shoulder or touching Ricky's face or playing with Emily's hair…

He wondered if her wanting to take it slow meant something else. Sharon was a really private person and she hadn't dated in a long time; maybe she was just nervous about getting into a new relationship?

He shrugged a little to himself. She and Andy would figure it out. He hoped. For some reason, Andy made Sharon really happy.

It wasn't that Rusty didn't like Andy; he just never pictured the two of them together. I mean, Sharon was Sharon, with her love of the rules and all. No one ever thought she'd end up dating a guy with a file that weighed as much as a small child.

When they first told them about their relationship, he was a little surprised that Sharon had felt the same way, but wasn't quite surprised that Andy had made a move.

It had been clear for a while the way Andy felt. Sharon was probably the only one that didn't notice him watching her with that dumb look on his face. He'd follow her around like a little puppy, happy to do anything she told him to do.

He wondered when Sharon realized she liked him too.

He mentally shrugged it off. Maybe he'd ask her one day.

He glanced back toward the door. He couldn't hear their voices but he could see their shadows under the door. Why were they being so quiet…Oh.

Rusty wrinkled his nose.

 _Ew._

When he heard the key and saw the doorknob turn, he turned back to his laptop. The door swung open, he heard Sharon's heels on the floor.

"Rusty, you're home early." She said.

Rusty turned to look at her. She looked happy. Andy was hovering in the doorway. "Class got out early. I can go somewhere else if I'm interrupting something…"

Sharon looked at Andy and then back to Rusty. "Oh, no, it's fine. Andy was just leaving."

Andy looked at her and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sharon." She smiled at him and he turned to leave. "Bye, Rusty."

"Bye." Rusty said as Andy closed the door behind him.

Sharon slipped out of her heels and then pulled her boots on before turning and making her way to the kitchen. Rusty closed his laptop and followed Sharon into the kitchen.

"You really didn't have to make him leave, Sharon. I could've gone to my room or to the library or something."

Sharon gave him a small smile as she poured her wine. "It's fine. He wasn't going to stay."

Rusty nodded. "Taking it slow, old-fashioned- I got it."

Sharon hummed a little in response as she took a drink of her wine.

* * *

Maybe it was because he'd never really been around good, happy relationships; even with Sharon he'd only ever seen her with Jack. Maybe it was because he was dating Aaron (no one knew about his yet) and was feeling a little giddy about it, yet worried about that the future would hold at the same time; but he was curious.

He and everyone else had watched Sharon and Andy do this dance and now he wanted some answers. If Sharon chose not to answer them, that was fine, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Sharon?"

She was seated in the chair next to the couch; she looked up from the book in her lap. "Hm?"

"How long do you…why," He struggled to find words. He didn't want to ask anything really personal, didn't want to cross any lines. But he had so many questions. "why is it so important to you that you and Andy take your relationship slowly?"

She was silent for a moment, looking at him before she closed her book and set it aside. "It's safer, job-wise."

"For your job, yeah, but what about for you?"

"It's important to me that we don't jeopardize our jobs."

"Is that what Andy wants too?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't want his job to be safe. And he hasn't said otherwise." When Rusty didn't say anything, she went on. "Andy's perfectly happy with the pace of our relationship."

Rusty nodded a little.

She raised her eyebrows, leaning a little farther in her seat. "What? Do you think he isn't?"

"No, it's just that, I don't know," He shrugged. "He's been kind of crazy for you for, like, ever now and I-"

Sharon rolled her eyes a little. "A little dramatic, Rusty."

"No, I'm not. You're just the only one who never saw it."

* * *

"Do you think you'd ever get married again?" He asked her as they stood in the kitchen, she rinsing off dishes and handing them off to him to be put in the dishwasher.

"To Andy?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Rusty smiled a little at that. "Sure. To Andy. Or anyone else, really."

She shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." She said. "I feel like at my age it would just be kind of…ridiculous, you know? And I that's a very large commitment; things could change."

"What if you really loved the person?"

"I loved Jack when we got married." She said.

Rusty was quiet for a moment. Sometimes it really hit him, how hard things must have been for her. She had to work her crazy police hours with two young children at home. He could imagine young Sharon, determined to make it all work.

Sometimes he really wondered how he could have liked Jack so much in the beginning. Because now? He couldn't stand the man. He didn't understand how he could abandon Sharon and Ricky and Emily. They were three of his favorite people, three of the most generous, kind people he'd ever met. How could Jack leave that?

He hated that even though he and Sharon were finally divorced; he still had such an impact on her life. She was in a new relationship now that, he was sure, was being dragged out under the false excuse of keeping things old fashioned because of Sharon's fears. He couldn't blame her for fearing commitment, for worrying that it wouldn't work out.

As much as he understood, he hated to see her like that. She was happy, he knew that. But she could be happier.

"Andy isn't like Jack. You know that."

Sharon was quiet for a moment, rinsing the plates silently before sitting them aside. "I do."

* * *

Rusty had gone to bed before Sharon, which was odd, considering how late it was. Sharon was usually already in bed by that time, but he left her to finish cleaning up the already spotless kitchen.

He was in his pajamas and under his covers, almost asleep when he heard the front door open. He sat up in confusion, glancing at the clock. It was almost midnight. No one ever came over that late.

He pushed the covers back and stood, trying to stay absolutely silent. He tiptoed over to his door, holding his breath as he turned the knob and slowly pulled it open.

He smiled at the sight he saw. Andy was back, he and Sharon were standing by the front door. He was dressed in pajama pants and a t-shirt, with jacket thrown on overtop. Sharon must have called and freaked him out if he came rushing over without even changing.

Sharon and Andy were talking about something, their voices too low for Rusty to hear. Sharon moved her hand to gently rest it on Andy's chest before she stood up on her toes to kiss him.

Rusty couldn't help how his smile grew. It was gross and he would definitely need to wash his eyes out or something, but it was sweet.

But, when Andy's arm wrapped around Sharon's waist and pulled her against him, Rusty had to look away as to avoid gagging, because that definitely didn't look old-fashioned to him.


End file.
